So Easy to Break
by Pinkfangs
Summary: After an intense love affair and heartbreaking split Draco Malfoy is now an Auror while Harry Potter is a shadowy bounty hunter.  But when Tragedy strikes and one of their own is in danger the two must team together again to save the day.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: So Easy to Break 1/?  
><strong>Author<strong>: Pinkfangs  
><strong>Rating<strong>: Eventual NC-17  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Language, sexual situations  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
><strong>Summary<strong>:So many things are so easy to break: Hearts, minds, dreams, lives. Years after the war the world is very different. Draco Malfoy is now an Auror, well respected and trusted while Harry Potter has turned hard and resentful, now a shadowy Private Investigator and bounty hunter. But when Tragedy strikes and one of their own is in danger the two rivals must again join forces to save the day.

**Love & Puppies  
><strong>

The little cottage stood out against the backdrop of lush grass and sunflowers. It was the perfect setting for a romantic getaway. Laughter could be heard coming from inside. Something fell, something smashed, someone laughed, someone moaned.

"Fuck, you randy bastard," someone said in a voice that was deep and husky and full of desire.

"It's your fault," another man replied and there were more kissing sounds. "If you didn't look so bloody hot in those leather pants…"

Outside something shifted restlessly in the bed of sunflowers. A little black puppy rolled over onto his back and stretched. Opening it's jaws wide he let out a puppyish yawn and looked towards the cottage. All the noise had woken him before he'd finished his nap. He bared his teeth and let out a soft growl but it quickly turned into a whine when the door opened and a man came out.

The man had messy black hair and as he walked he pulled a pair of thick rimmed glasses out of his pocket and put them on. Soon after, another man followed. He was very different to the first man; his skin was pale and his hair was platinum blond. The two tussled and laughed and the one with the glasses swung and easy arm around the other man's shoulders.

The puppy tipped his head to the side. He let out a curious whine but didn't emerge from his hiding place.

The puppy watched the cottage and the men for a long time. When they emerged they were smiling when they went inside they were kissing. He noticed that they laughed a lot and touched a lot and smiled a lot. The puppy's tale wagged when they came out but he didn't bark. He remembered in his foggy picture memory another man throwing a shoe at him, a woman hitting him with a broom and the bristles stinging his ears… But he watched with wide grey-blue eyes.

Later the heat of the day began to cool and the sky became darker. Storm clouds gathered and the puppy looked up fearfully when the first roll of thunder vibrated in the earth below his feet. The puppy didn't like storms. He looked towards the cottage and could feel the warmth radiating from it. Something tasty was cooking and he could hear the faint sound of a fireplace. Another picture flashed in his mind of fireplace. His big warm mother licking his fur… He whined and looked longingly at the cottage.

A sudden flash of lightning and a crash of thunder made the decision for him. The puppy lunged from his hiding place and bolted towards the back door. At the door he barked and scratched at the wood.

"What on Earth?" The man said as he flung open the door. "Whoa!"

The puppy bolted into the cottage before the man could slam the door on him and hid under a little table beside a big overstuffed sofa.

"Hey, Malfoy," the man with the glasses yelled. "I think we have a little visitor."

"You what?" The one called Malfoy peaked out of the kitchen. "What are you on about, Potter?"

"I think it's a puppy," Potter said and knelt down to peak under the table. A pair of bespectacled green eyes peered at him. "Yeah, it's a puppy. He must be scared of the storm."

The one called Malfoy knelt down beside Potter and peered under. "So it is. But how did he get all the way out here?"

Potter shrugged then climbed to his feet. "Just a minute, I'll get him something to eat."

"Are you sure?" Malfoy called out. "I heard it's bad luck to feed stray black puppies."

"Bloody hell, Malfoy. We're not in the middle ages." Potter rolled his eyes and placed a two little bowls on the floor near the table. One smelt like meat and the other milk. "Come on, boy," he cooed to the puppy then backed away to sit.

The two men sat very quietly and after a long pause the puppy peaked out. He looked suspiciously first at the blond man then the dark hared man. Neither of them moved, they just watched with quiet curiosity.

The puppy dashed out, took a few quick laps of the milk and dashed back to his hiding place.

"I want to keep him," Potter said smiling as he peaked under the table again.

"What are you five?" Malfoy responded with a sarcastic edge to his voice, but he was smiling as he too peaked under the table. "Maybe he belongs to someone."

"Well then we'll check," Potter made a soft clicking sound and twiddled his fingers towards the puppy and chuckled when the puppy pawed at them. "If he's homeless then we'll keep him. If he's not we ask why the hell he's out and alone in a storm."

"You really want to keep him?" Malfoy asked.

"Well yeah." Potter showed Malfoy his own set of puppy-dog eyes. "Don't you want a puppy?"

"Ah, Potter." Malfoy leaned in and placed a warm lingering kiss on Potter's lips.

"I chose to take that as a yes."

They both laughed and slowly, tentatively the puppy crept out from under the table. He let them pet him and wagged his tale when Potter brought him more meat and milk.

Somewhere before he drifted off to sleep on the fur in front of the fireplace he heard Potter give him a name. Padfoot. The puppy liked the name and gave Potter a lick before settling for the night.

**o0o0o  
><strong>

Malfoy emerged first in the morning. He gave Padfoot a scratch behind his ears then went to make something hot in a jug.

An owl arrived on the windowsill and dropped a letter into Malfoy's hand. He ripped it open but when he read the letter his face seemed to turn an even paler shade. The man sat on his chair heavily and he seemed lost in thought for a long time until Padfoot took it on himself to cheer him.

The puppy gave a little bark and ran in and out of the man's legs but though the man smiled a little he looked so sad the puppy almost wanted to cry with sorrow. He didn't understand. Malfoy lowered his hand to pet Padfoot and the puppy licked and sniffed and nuzzled his fingers.

Padfoot loved Malfoy. He and Potter and rescued Padfoot from the storm and hadn't hurt him or stung his ears with the broom.

"Oh, Padfoot," Malfoy lifted the puppy and hugged him gently to his chest. "I so wish to stay."

_Stay. Stay_. Padfoot barked and licked at Malfoy's face. There were salty trails now running down the man's cheeks.

"Now, you have to promise to look after Harry."

Padfoot tipped his head to the side and let out a confused whine.

"Keep him safe and make him smile."

Padfoot barked once and licked Malfoy's face again.

Malfoy laughed and nuzzled Padfoot's fur. But there was wetness again and Padfoot felt Malfoy's shoulders shaking. "I so wish I could stay."

Then all at once Malfoy grabbed up a piece of parchment and scribbled a note. He weighted it down with the pepper shaker then looked as though he might pick it up again. But he didn't. At the door Malfoy looked around the cosy kitchen with the kind of longing that Padfoot had felt sitting outside in the cold, watching the two men.

Then without further ritual he turned away, closed the door quietly and was gone.

Padfoot ran to the door. He whined and scratched but the door didn't open. When Harry emerged from the bedroom he looked barely awake but he smiling down at Padfoot.

"'ello, boy," Potter said tiredly and knelt down to give Padfoot a proper scratch. "Where did Draco get to then?"

Padfoot backed away. He ran towards the door and scratched at it. _Malfoy. Malfoy gone. Love Malfoy. Malfoy gone._

"What? You want to go out?" But before he could let Padfoot outside Potter spotted the note on the table. As his eyes moved over the words his body grew very still.

Padfoot sat at the door, tipped back his head and gave a long, mournful howl. And by the expression on Potter's face as he slid down the wall to the floor, note in hand, he knew that Potter did the same.


	2. Chapter 2

**_5 years later…_**

A shadow materialized, lengthened and finally stepped out of the dark alley way in front of a ground floor townhouse on the outskirts of London. The tall, robed form strode deliberately to the front door, checked left and right then knocked. After a long pause the door cracked open and a haunt face poked out.

"Yeah, what you want?" Yaxley grunted.

"It's Yaxley, isn't it?" The figure asked in a hushed voice.

"Depends who's asking."

Harry threw the hood of his robe back and shoved open the door, forcing his way inside.

"Oh my God! You're Harry Potter," Yaxley spluttered. "Shit. How the hell did you find me?"

"Haven't you heard?" Harry sneered pulling his wand. "I'm the chosen one."

Then wordlessly he pointed his wand and Yaxley fell paralysed to the floor.

o0o0o

Harry aparated just outside the grounds of Azkaban. Levitating the Paralysed form of Yaxley ahead of him, he walked briskly towards the gates.

A portly, pock-faced wizard met him at the gate and Harry greeted him with a smile that didn't even come close to reading his eyes. "One paralysed Death Eater, as ordered."

"That's the third one you've rounded up this week; you're on a roll you are, Potter." The guard's voice was gravelly but strong.

"Nah, once you know how they move, it's a piece of cake tracking them down." He handed the guard a body receipt and the man signed it and handed it back.

The guard tutted and shook his head. "The ministry lost a mighty fine Auror when you quit. Bounty hunting is no life for the-boy-who-conquered."

Something in Harry's pocket vibrated and he pulled out his phone to see a new message. He shrugged at the guard and said, "Duty calls." The turned on his heel and strode back to the apparition point.

When he materialized again back at his office he found himself face to face with Lucius Malfoy. The shock was so intense that he almost disaparated right back to Azkaban. Seeing the father of his old lover brought back way too many memories that he had been working so hard to obliviate.

"Mr Malfoy," Harry greeted him with a curt nod of his head.

"Mr Potter," Lucius responded and even offered what might have been an awkward sort of smile.

He opened the door to his office and waved Malfoy inside. "What can I do for you?" he asked once they were sitting.

"It's a rather delicate matter," Lucius Malfoy started. "As you may know over the last few years I have been involved with an organisation focusing on bringing dark wizards and troublemakers to justice. I think the war taught us all some very… disturbing lessons." At Harry's nod he continued, "It seemed that Scabior, he was one of the snatchers during the war, has returned to his dark ways. It seems he murdered his Muggle wife yesterday."

"Why would he marry a Muggle?"

"That I can't tell you as I don't know myself, though I think we can assume his reasons were not good."

"So I presume since you're here talking to me that he's on the run."

"Indeed, he hasn't been seen since the day of his dark deed."

"It sounds like an open and shut case, why come to me? Why not let the Auror's do their work." Harry pulled out a cigarette and offered one to Lucius who took one then Harry lit them both. "Don't tell me you have no faith in our legal system, considering that your son himself is an Auror."

Lucius looked at him sharply and Harry inwardly kicked himself. The older man must have heard the note of bitterness in his voice. Lucius had been one of the strongest objectors to his relationship with Draco. But that was years ago.

"Ordinarily I have much faith in our fine Aurors," he inspected his perfect manicure. "But this matter is a little different."

"Different how?"

"Scabior holds a certain charm and as a result makes friends and loyalties easily. The consensus around is that he is innocent. An opinion based solely on his likable persona. I am afraid that an Auror might let him slip through the cracks, on a misguided act of mercy."

"You expect no such acts of mercy from me?" Harry inquired.

Lucius smiled coldly. "You've been earning quite the reputation, Mr Potter."

"Well then I suppose we should skip the niceties and discuss my fee."

Lucius slid a thick envelope across the table and Harry gave an impressed whistle when he looked inside, there were notes equivalent to at least a three thousand galleons.

"That's half. The other half will be yours after you hand Scabior over to me." But before Harry could tuck away the envelope, Lucius placed a hand over his. "There is one other condition. No-one need know that I have commissioned you to perform this particular capture. After a fair trial it will no longer matter, but until then I would prefer that this transaction stayed between us."

"I am the master of discression."

o0o0o

Draco Malfoy was buried within piles of paperwork when Kingsley Shacklebolt cleared his throat just inside his office door.

"Come on in and take a pile," Draco said without looking up.

Kingsley smiled wryly and took a seat opposite. "You know we have various ranks of secretaries and assistants who are here to help with this shit."

"Nope, not for me." Draco signed another form with a flourish and placed it on the pile to the left then grabbed another from the right and started scribbling. "Found out the hard way that if I want my paperwork neat and done right then I have to do it myself."

Kingsley chuckled. "I wanted to congratulate you by the way. I heard you managed to track down the wizard who murdered Caroline Gordon."

"Nothing to congratulate, the man left a magical trail like an incontinent dog. All I had to do was follow." He signed the form and placed it on the file and grabbed another. "Still haven't managed to find Yaxley, though. Slippery little bastard."

"Didn't you hear?" Kingsley shifted in his chair. "Potter made the capture last night and delivered him to Azkaban."

That made Draco pause. He took a shuddering breath and forced himself to keep writing. "Why do we bother with Aurors when we can just pay a bounty hunter to do the job?" he muttered sarcastically.

"You know how it works. When we get an escape we have to catch them as fast as possible using whatever means. If they can take some of the load we can concentrate on more important matters."

Potter was one of the finest bounty hunters in Europe, not surprising really the guy had been setting the world on fire with his skills in everything from Quidditch to duelling since they were kids. A flash of a smile danced around his memory, a feel of lips, strong hands, long nights exploring their joint passions. But that was in the past now and there was no going back, Draco had seen to that.

"The two of you were pretty good pals for a while," Kingsley said. "All through Auror training you were inseparable."

"Yeah…" Draco cleared his throat. He really didn't want to talk about Harry. "We sort of lost touch after I married Astoria."

A bitter knife twisted in his stomach. Marrying Astoria had been the biggest mistake of his life. That last day in the cottage with Harry he'd received an owl from his father. Apparently Astoria had come to him after she found out she was pregnant. It had just been a fling but if she was pregnant then he had to take responsibility. He had been just trying to do the right thing, be a good man not that it mattered in the long run. She'd lost the baby soon after they married and two years later they divorced.

"So was there something specific you wanted?" Draco asked but smiled to lighten his sharp tone.

"Yes," Kingsley smiled. "Almost forgot. A new case has come through and I thought that you would want to take it."

Draco looked up and gave him a raised eyebrow.

"Scabior Crowley was spotted fleeing from the scene of a murder of a Muggle woman yesterday morning."

"No way."

Kingsley shrugged. "It's true the file was just placed on my desk. He's now wanted for questioning in the murder of his wife Lucille Crowley."

"What!" Draco snatched the file and ripped it open. It had to be a mistake. "This isn't possible. Scabior loved his wife. I mean I only met her once or twice but he spoke about her all the time. But then why would he run?"

Kingsley gave him a palms up. "That's what you'll be finding out. But I can imagine being an ex-Death Eater and that he's been in Azkaban before he wouldn't be wrong in assuming that benefit-of-the-doubt would probably not apply. I think nearly all of us older veterans remember the no-trial life sentencing of Sirius Black."

Draco dwelled on this. Scabior had been much like himself, whisked off in the excitement and even the romantic myths of war and blood-ties but had soon realized the realities of death and bloodshed. He and Scabior had shared many a silent drink after the end of the war, it was Scabior who pushed him to follow his heart and apply to the Auror training program. Scabior who supported his relationship with Harry Potter, even when Draco's own father made it clear that he found his sexuality unacceptable.

"Alright, do you think you could send out a press release? Put the word out that Scabior is only wanted for questioning and that we believe he may have seen something important or may even be in danger himself."

"Would that be the truth?" Kingsley asked.

Draco puffed out a sigh. "I hope so."

o0o0o

The huge black dog bounded towards Harry Potter as soon as he entered his small, one bedroom house in Godric's Hollow. A deep, loud _woof_ was the only warning he got before he was engulfed in black fur and thick paws.

"Yes, Padfoot, I know I've been gone all day." Harry scratched the dog behind the ears and down his throat and back. From such a tiny puppy Padfoot had just kept on growing. To be honest Harry wasn't quite sure if it had stopped yet.

The big black dog was an almost mirror image of Harry's godfather, Sirius, in his dog form. When he first scratched at the door of that cottage in France, it had been the eyes that reminded Harry of Sirius, but now it was almost plausible that this mischievous and intuitive dog could actually one day change and reveal it was Sirius all the time…

It wasn't of course. Harry knew that. He'd seen Sirius die. Still Sirius had spent quite a lot of time as a dog while in hiding… Maybe he met a pretty lady dog and fell in love. This thought brought a wry smile.

"Is that true?" he cooed at Padfoot, scratching his big furry head. "Are you the grandson of Sirius Black?"

Padfoot barked and wagged his tale then bounded into the kitchen. Laughing Harry followed. What would he have done without Padfoot these last few years?

Draco leaving him that day had been the last straw that broke his back. Harry had suffered rejection and loss and heartache all his life.

Growing up he learned to hide the hurt that came with the obvious distain that his Aunt and Uncle showed him, Cho had liked him but had never stopped loving Cedric, Ginny said she loved him but then during that last year while he was fighting for all their lives she'd fallen in love with Neville. All his life he'd been little more than a pawn in a game he never asked to play, used by everyone and yet treated as though he were worth nothing.

He had discovered that he preferred men in his early twenties. With Hermione and Charlie in Romania and Ron and Luna in Ireland Harry and Draco had become firm friends in the Auror Academy. He watched Draco date women from all over the wizarding world but was the only one who knew that the pureblood heir to the Malfoy millions preferred men also. For years they were each other's only ally and confidant in the dangerous world of gay clubs and sexual discovery.

They weren't lovers right away. At first they were merely friends both believing that there was too much history for them to be attracted to one another. But one night Harry found Draco beaten, bruised and sobbing on the shower floor. He'd been attacked by a jealous lover. Harry had flown into a rage and was about to hunt down the bastard but Draco stopped him.

That night he held the man who had become his best friend in his arms and the next morning they made love and it was right.

That last morning in the cottage Draco's note had read simply:

**_It's time for me to return to the real world. _**

**_I'm going to marry Astoria. _**

**_ Its over._**

The complete shock of that moment still hit hard. One moment he and Draco had been happy, they'd been a real couple having fought side by side both on the job and for their alternate sexuality. Harry had known that Draco saw women from time to time, but he really had thought that it was all behind him, behind them both. Maybe he wouldn't have taken the note so hard if he'd known it was a possibility.

Harry had never really been sure about anything. Dumbledore's cool machinations had kept him guessing all through his teen years, but damn it he'd been so sure about Draco. He'd been so sure that they were different, that they were the two, the special two.

"Green, naïve idiot," Harry muttered to himself. "Should have known better then to care about that spoilt, precious bastard."

He looked down at the sausages he'd been preparing for dinner and suddenly didn't feel hungry any more. Tipping the uneaten food into the bin he clumped out of the kitchen, took a quick hot shower and climbed, naked, between the sheets. Padfoot padded in and curled up in his dog bed. Harry reached down and stoked the dog's long, lush black fur until his eyes grew heavy.


	3. Chapter 3

Draco stood a couple of houses up, leaning against a tree and hidden by the shadow. He wasn't ready to go in yet. During the bad time stuck in his father's house with those… People. Scabior had been his only ray of hope, or maybe not hope, but it felt good to know that he wasn't the only one who didn't like what he was seeing.

Scabior had been and was his friend. If the man killed his wife, Draco wasn't sure that he wanted to know. Scabior was the one who made it. He got out, he fell in love, and he married. Last time they'd spoken Scabior was thinking about kids. Merlin, Draco hoped they hadn't made a firm decision on that one. He would hate for her to have been pregnant when…

Draco took a long shuddering breath and set his shoulders. It was time to do his job. Whether his old friend had or hadn't murdered Lucille, Draco had to do his job and it all started by stepping into that house.

Just then another figure emerged from somewhere up the street with the impossibility not being there one moment and then just being there the next. Wizard. Draco, pulled closer to the shadow and watched with growing trepidation. The man walked down the road with an easy swagger, his messy black hair was overgrown, his black pants hung loose on his too slim hips and a long duster coat hung off a pair of wide-set shoulders. He always had worn it well.

"What the hell are you doing here, Potter?" Draco muttered but didn't reveal his position.

Scabior hadn't escaped from any prison and he hadn't been charged with anything yet so his name wouldn't be on the _skip_ list. Which meant some someone had hired Potter to investigate, but who and why? Surely everyone knew that the Aurors would be on this one.

He stayed back and watched as Harry pulled his wand, unlocked the front door and let himself in. Only once the wizard was inside did Draco venture forwards. He crept to the door, opened it silently and slipped inside then quickly ducked into the guestroom to the side when Harry returned to the hall.

Peaking through the crack in the door Draco couldn't help himself; he drank the his ex-lover in with his eyes. Potter needed a haircut and by the looks of the way his clothes hung off him, he needed a few home cooked meals. Draco remembered Harry's terrible cooking skills; about the only thing the bloke wasn't amazing at. In the end Draco took over the cooking. A reminiscent smiled tipped up the corners of his lips. He shouldn't still miss those nights; but he did.

Harry stopped. He tipped his head to the side and seemed to be listening intently to something.

Draco held his breath and backed up a step only to trip and knocked over a pedestal and vase. Shit! He looked up just in time to see Harry round the corner, wand drawn.

The shock on Harry's face was unmistakeable. His eyes behind those thick rimmed glasses shot wide and his jaw fell open, shut, open again. "You fucking prick," Harry said but didn't lower his wand.

"And hello to you," Draco replied dryly.

"What are you doing here?"

"That would be my question I think," Draco said striding towards then past Harry and out into the hall. "This is after all a crime scene, Potter. That makes it an Auror and official law officer only restricted zone."

Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out his Bounty Hunter licence then flipped out a long piece of parchment and showed it to him. "This is a warrant to apprehend one Scabior Crowley. I have permission to enter his house or any other residence or business where I believe he may be staying."

Draco gave the warrant a disgusted look and threw it back to Harry. "But who hired you! This is a murder investigation, it's Auror jurisdiction."

"Who hired me is protected information protected by client confidentiality clause five-four-six-three."

Draco gritted his teeth and looked down at his feet. It took everything he had not to lose his temper. Being friends with that Granger chit for so long had earned Potter an almost photographic memory for facts and legal guidelines.

"Well this is my bloody investigation and I plan to see to it that Scabior gets a fair trial, if this even goes to court."

"Interesting choice of words there, Malfoy." Harry paced slowly, four steps right then four steps left and back again. "One might think you don't plan to find him at all."

Flustered Draco was quick to reply, "I didn't say that."

Harry shrugged. "You didn't have to." He looked at him thoughtfully then turned on his heel and walked towards the kitchen.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Draco took chase; following him and watching as Harry pulled open the fridge and bent to look in.

Harry turned his head to look at Draco without straightening. "Come on, mate, you know exactly what I meant." He grabbed out a large salami sausage, some butter, cheese, pickles, and a loaf of bread. "Not that I'm complaining, I mean the money from collecting and bringing back the scum you can't seem to hold onto is nothing to sneeze at, but over the last year or so I've been swamped. Me and others are starting to get worried for our safety. But maybe the next in the Malfoy line isn't so interested in the protection of ordinary folk like us."

Harry juggled the foodstuff to the bench and proceeded to make himself a sandwich.

"You know that's not true." Draco spat. "And that warrant you have gives you only permission to enter and search, not bloody make yourself at home or steal their food!"

"So?" Harry showed him a raised eyebrow. "Gonna arrest me?" Then in an act of pure evil he gave him his sexiest lopsided grin and his emerald eyes grew darker. "Wanna borrow my handcuffs?"

"Blow me, Potter," Draco spat and walked out leaving Harry watching his back. "Do the job," he muttered to himself.

Stubbornly ignoring the sounds coming from the kitchen Draco started in the guest room, finding nothing to indicate where Scabior might have gone he moved to the lounge and finally the bedroom.

For a long time he stood next to the bed looking around at the garishly decorated room. The curtains were dark blue, the carpet was lily white and the bed was an antique made up with black and red and purple sheets and blankets. On the far was a large picture of sunflowers by a Muggle artist that he was sure Harry had mentioned.

The whole room was a conflicting clash of colour and shadow and light. Draco couldn't imagine sleeping there but it was very Scabior.

"Where are you, mate?" Draco said with his exhale and jumped when Harry appeared and leaned against the doorframe. "Is this what you do, lurk around waiting to scare people?"

Harry pushed away from the doorframe and sauntered towards him. "Did I scare you?" he asked, his voice deeper, huskier. He kept coming closer and despite his need to back up, Draco held his position. "Forgive me," Harry murmured when he was standing almost toe to toe with him.

"I have work to do," Draco replied and moved away with a long withheld breath.

He dropped to his knees and opened the draws of the bedside table and made a great show of looking for any indication of where Scabior might have gone. It wasn't till he lifted the third magazine that he realized that he hadn't actually looked at anything. Swearing silently he dropped the magazines back in the draw and started again.

Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Heat. Draco frowned. "Wow I never knew Scabior was so into staying fit."

"Didn't know he was a murderer though either," Harry said too lightly and shrugged at Draco's dark look.

"I still don't know that and neither do you." Draco stood up and faced Harry, his temper spiking. "Scabior is only wanted for questioning and I plan to see that he is treated fairly. Is that what your people want?"

Harry grinned and snatched the magazines from his hand. Sitting on the bed he inspected each and threw them one at a time to the floor but held onto the copy of _Heat_. He looked up at Draco with raised brows.

"What?"

"Well are you sure that this guy married a woman?" Harry said and moved to a kneeling position as he flicked through the magazine. He whistled through his teeth and turned it around so Draco could see the centrefold.

The centrefold photo depicted a man in his early twenties, naked to the waist with muscles to die for and a nice sized package barely hidden in his jocks. Draco snatched the magazine back and threw it in the draw.

"It's just a magazine, doesn't mean a damned thing."

Harry chuckled and tipped his head to the side. Sucking his bottom lip between his teeth he slowly looked Draco up and down. "Just a magazine that fell open at the centrefold of Mr do-me-now." Harry shrugged when Draco didn't respond. "Oh yeah, I forgot you don't swing that way anymore."

"I swing any way I want," Draco responded defensively and instantly regretted taking the bait.

Harry smiled, a slow smooth sensual smile that made his eyes hot and made Draco's legs weak. "Really?" He bounced experimentally on the bed and looked back at Draco. "This is a nice bed. Good bounce, soft but firm." He wriggled his finger and angled his head back. "Come here."

"Fuck you," Draco replied and turned for the door.

"Yeah, that was sort of what I was getting at." Harry licked his lips. "Come on, Malfoy. Just a quick one." He made an obscene noise, gripped an invisible partner and gave one good hard thrust. "Shame to let this fine bed go to waste, I think we both know that Scabior and his "wife" weren't using it." He wiggled his fingers beside his face when he said, _wife_.

There was something very sexy about the way Harry rocked his hips and he looked very tempting kneeling on the bed. Draco shook his head. "This is not going to find Scabior any faster."

Harry laughed and pulled out the magazine. He flipped it open again this time to another barely dressed man giving the camera his best sultry look from beneath a waterfall.

"I think a couple of hot guys banging like bandits on his bed will get his attention pretty fucking fast."

This earned a laugh. "Bloody hell, you always were a horny bastard," Draco said in a tone much more intimate then he intended.

Remembering himself and the fact that he was here to do a job, Draco looked around desperate for a distraction and he found it. "Hey isn't this a DVD player?" He knelt down in front of the Muggle artefact and tapped the top experimentally."

"Careful," Harry said still kneeling. "If you tap it the wrong way it burns your eyes out."

"What!" Draco jumped away then turned to glare at Harry who had fallen back on the bed cackling with laughter. "Oh you're funny."

"I'm a riot, didn't you know?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yeah alright. If you're quite finished come and show me how it works."

Harry rolled off the bed and came down to kneel next to Draco. He inspected the machine for a moment before grabbing up a metal stick and sitting back on the bed. He patted the space next to him and when Draco looked hesitant he said, "Don't worry precious, you virtue is safe."

Rolling his eyes Draco sat next to Harry and watched curiously as Harry pointed the long buttoned stick at the TV and pressed a button. The TV flickered to life and immediately pictures began dancing and talking.

"Oh! It's like some kind of Muggle wand. But where does the magic come from?"

Harry deftly opened the back to reveal two cinders. "Battery magic. And it's called a remote control." He looked at the screen. "Looks like there's a DVD in there." He pressed another button and the screen went black.

In the next moment it lit up on a scene that left them both gaping. At first Draco wasn't sure what he was seeing. He could hear grunting and someone moaning and there was movement, rhythmic and rough. Slowly the scene widened to reveal two men. A larger one with long black and red hair was fucking another short-haired man from behind.

"I think that's…" Scabior.

"Oh yeah," Harry grinned smugly. "That boy was straight as a beam." He tipped his head to the side and leaned closer. "Fuck look at him go."

Suddenly the screen went black again and a boy who couldn't have been more then nineteen who looked like the boy in the film was sitting tied to a chair. His eyes were red and he had a long scar across his cheek.

"I'm so sorry," he said and a tear slid down his cheek. "Please, Scabior, please do what they say… They've hurt me and…" Someone whispered roughly off screen and the boy nodded shaking. "They want a hundred thousand dollars from you by Friday or they're going to kill me. You'll receive more details of the drop off soon." His eyes moved as though reading. "No cops. Give them the money or I'm… dead." The boy looked right into the camera now and the pleading look was heartbreaking. "Scabior please. I'm so sorry… So sorry… Please don't let them hurt me."


	4. Chapter 4

All hints of humour were gone as Harry watched the terrified boy begging for his life.

"Friday was two days ago," Draco voiced what they were both thinking and Harry nodded.

Sure that he must have missed something Harry skipped the DVD back to the start. The groaning and moaning started again.

"Bloody hell, Potter. Do you really think this is the time to…"

"Shut up." Harry didn't look at him. He was watching the scene unfolding now with new eyes.

Scabior was taking the boy from behind. His eyes were closed and his teeth bared as he held the boy's hips in place and thrust again and again. The boy moaned and occasionally whimpered but otherwise did nothing but play willing glory hole to Scabior's lust.

"They're not together," Harry said.

"What do you mean not together? They look pretty together to me."

"No I mean they fuck, but Scabior isn't _with_ him. They aren't in a relationship. The boy could be any boy Scabior picked up in a bar or even a rent-boy."

"That's hardly fair."

"I don't care, they're not together. Just trust me on this one."

Harry couldn't explain to Draco how he knew and it irked him that the other man couldn't tell the difference between one man blowing out the pipes and two men having sex. When they'd been together it had never been like what they were seeing on the screen now. They were together and they fucked each other. At least Harry thought that was the way it was.

The screen went black again and they were watching the boy begging for his life. Harry sat closer, looked as far as he could around the background but couldn't see anything that indicated where he might be. He listened for background sounds but other than some rustling and some harsh whispered instructions and threats… Music. It was faint and even when Harry turned the sound right up he couldn't quite place it but he was sure he could hear music coming from somewhere in the background.

"Back room of a nightclub or pub?" Draco suggested thinking along the same lines as Harry.

"Yeah, or the neighbour has the radio on." He pressed open on the player and slipped out the disc.

Inspecting it revealed nothing. There was nothing written on it and it was a generic disc that someone could buy in any Muggle shop.

"Muggles," Harry said, thinking out loud. "This has all been done by Muggles. The boy was tied with real ropes, they sent him the demands on DVD. These guys don't know who or what Scabior is."

"So then how did it end so badly?" Draco asked. "If they were Muggles Scabior could have walked all over them. Saved the boy and given them some seriously bad nightmares."

Harry picked up the copy of _Heat_ and flicked through until he found a page that was dog-eared. Sometimes the biggest clues were in plain sight and this was no exception. At the bottom of the page was a business card sized advert for an over-the-top club that looked like the kind of place Scabior would enjoy. It bragged, live hot male dancers, private shows and half-price on Thursdays for costume players.

Harry ripped out the page and stuffed it in his pocket. "Well, I'll leave you to it," he said and headed for the door. "I have a bounty to capture."

Draco's gazer flicked to Harry's pocket. "What? But what about the hostage and the blackmail? There is obviously a lot more to this case then we knew."

"Agreed, but it's Auror business," Harry replied trying hard to sound casual and uninterested. "You're the Auror, my job is to find and bring in Scabior."

"But what about the boy on the disc?" Draco was obviously fuming. "He might still be alive! Those bastards who are holding him hostage are probably the ones who killed Scabior's wife."

"Again, not my problem and considering that it seems to be mainly Muggles pulling this heist I say you hand it over to the Muggle police to deal with."

Draco shook his head. "But Scabior is one of us."

"Well then I repeat, that makes it Auror business, take it to Shacklebolt, I'm sure he'll find someone who isn't too chicken-shit to take the case."

Harry thought that he actually saw smoke shoot out of Draco's ears.

"So if you don't mind, I'm going to go hunt down my paycheque."

"You really don't care about anyone any more do you, Potter?" Draco spat.

"What good is caring about people?" Harry rounded on Draco, his temper bursting. "Everyone else in the world is out for themselves, why the hell should I be different."

"Because you _are_ different. Once you took the all the woes of our world on your shoulders, you faced He-who-should-not-be-named alone, you offered up your life for other people."

"Yeah and a fat lot of good it did me," Harry shot back. "I can't even rebuild my parent's house because it belongs to bloody preservation society. I've had it up to here—" He held his hand just under his chin. "—With the machinations of this world. Dumbledore, Voldermort, everyone has used me at one time or another to get what they wanted. Well I'm sick of being a pawn in your bloody chess games." He waved a dismissive hand at Draco's attempted interruption. "I don't give a donkey's cock what happens to any of you. All I plan to do is hunt down an ex-Death Eater, hand him over and collect what's owed me."

Draco stood completely still and his face turned very pale. "Why didn't you ever tell me you felt that way? I could have helped to get your parent's house back in your control."

Harry let out a dry humourless laugh. "Why, because you cared so goddamned much? You're the same as all the rest. You played your games and took everything you could manipulate out of Saint Potter."

Draco cringed at the old school yard nickname he'd used against Harry. "It wasn't like that." But his voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm past caring, ferret," Harry spat and walked out the door.

Without checking for an all clear, Harry pulled his wand and disaparated. Outside his house he fell hard against a tree and felt something in his chest twist painfully as he slid down the rough trunk. He hadn't been nearly prepared for how seeing Draco again would affect him. It had started pretty well he thought and had been sure he saw a flicker interest in the pureblood's face more than a few times when he'd flirted.

But the deep seated pain in his chest couldn't be hidden forever and without realising Harry had put all the power back in Malfoy's hands. Opened himself wide so that heartless bastard could see just how much power he'd had. For years men and women more skilled then Draco had tried to destroy the boy-who-lived. But it was Draco who broke his spirit.

Oh how he and his father must be laughing now.

He took a deep shuddering breath and pulled himself to his feet. Well they could laugh all they wanted. Harry was going to finish the job, deliver Scabior to Lucius right under the Ferret's nose…

o0o0o

Draco stood pale and silent, staring at the spot Harry had stood just moments ago. "Oh father what have I done?"

As though in a dream he walked back to Scabior's bedroom and sat heavily on the edge of the bed. His gaze rose to the mirror and he hated what he saw there. Not for the first time Draco hated the heritage that stretched so far behind him. So bloody proud. A bunch of murderers and bigots and men too weak to do what was right so they followed sick, demented leaders like Voldermort.

He hated his silver eyes, his pale floorless complexion and his platinum blonde hair. It was all them. Not him! Draco was not one of them!

Suddenly a cold wind blew across the bed. Draco turned in the direction the wind came from, some crazy idea in his head that Harry had returned.

"Harry?"

The word turned into a terrified cry when his gaze landed on not Harry but a pale, transparent form of a woman. She wore a long flowing dress that seemed to shift and dance with the ghostly breeze. Her throat had been slit and the beautiful image was ruined by the long ragged gash across her neck.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" She said in a voice as clear and crisp as if she actually had a throat and tongue.

"D… Draco M…Malfoy," he stammered and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. It was just a ghost. "I believe we met a few years ago. I'm a friend of Scabior and I'm the Auror who's been assigned to investigate your murder."

"Aurors don't investigate murders, you're dark wizard hunters."

"Well yes that's true, but… well… A certain wizard was seen fleeing the scene just before your body was discovered."

She suddenly went very still. Something in the air crackled and Draco looked around nervously when the windows and mirrors began to tremble.

"Who?"

Draco held his hands up, partly as a calming gesture and partly preparing to cover himself if something bad happened. "Look, we really don't know anything yet. I just need to speak with him. So far everything is pointing to something very different then what we originally thought."

"Where is Scabior?" She asked in a voice so calm it made the hair on the back of Draco's neck spike. "Where is my husband?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm here, I was hoping to find out where he might be." Draco slowly climbed to his feet and stepped towards the ghost. "What do you remember about…"

"The night I died?" She finished for him. "What does it matter now? My husband went out and left me in the house alone. Someone broke in. Someone killed me."

"So Scabior wasn't home?"

"I was alone when I woke to the sound of glass breaking in the kitchen." She showed a bitter smile. "I guess Scabior had some very reasonable reason why he wasn't sleeping in our bed as a husband is supposed to." She shook her head and already she was starting to fade. "It was dark. I tried to run but it was as though he anticipated my every move… Or there was more than one. I could barely see it was so dark so maybe I was just running in circles."

"Was there anything else? Did they use magic, maybe to confuse you or make it impossible to run away?"

"When the room was lit they looked so surprised to see me," she mused then looked at Draco, into his eyes, into his soul. "What did you do to that boy? The one who was just here."

"I chose my family's approval over him."

She laughed now, a loud, high pitched sound that wasn't entirely pleasant. "You stupid fool. You squabble over a game of dice, never seeing that each roll brings you closer to the last square." She circled the room like a breeze and now almost as translucent. "I think I got a ladder while Scabior found a snakehead… Those pieces look so much the same when the hours grow late…" She kept talking but Draco couldn't make out the words then finally she was just gone.

And he had no idea what the hell she was talking about...


End file.
